Five Stages of Grief
by Kenpachi.and.Marco.Fan11
Summary: How did the Whitebeard Pirates go through their grief? Told from Marco's POV. Short fic, bad summary, no thinking required.


Five Stages of Grief

**DO NOT OWN BY ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!**

_Stage 1: Denial_

As we stood on that battlefield, watching hopelessly from the other side, we didn't want to believe the series of events we had just witnessed and involved ourselves in. It couldn't happen to you, the strongest man in the world; someone so foolish and shameless couldn't have taken you from us. It simply wasn't possible, and we refused to believe it. And even as we fled, following your final order for our safety, we still denied it had happened. Some of us stood waiting, hoping, that maybe you would speak again, make even the slightest movement, just something that would convince us that you were still among us. But you did none of those things; you stood there, unyielding.

_Stage 2: Anger_

Though it was wrong of us, when we look back at it now, some of fled angry. Our emotions were frenzied, anger at Teach mixing with the grief we felt. We were angry, not just at him for the suffering he had caused, but also at you. "Why did you leave us?" "Aren't you stronger than to be done in by that bastard?" We asked such foolish things, things we knew the answers to, yet we wanted to hear them from you. Some of us left angry at you…but we still don't know why. How could we be angry at the sacrifice you made for all of us? It blinded us, so much that we couldn't differentiate friend from foe some days. We were spiteful beings, angry at seemingly everything, everything and anything that made the pain go away.

_Stage 3: Bargaining_

We knew nothing but grief the time right off the heels of the war. We mourned the casualties but we still held a flame of anger, no longer towards you but to the gods. We were mindless, numbed by the gaping wound your death left, and we desired nothing more than to have you back with us. We pleaded to every higher being we could possibly name that the damage could be reversed, for them to bring you back; we didn't care what it very well could've cost us at the time. We didn't need whatever it would've taken: we needed you back in our lives.

_Stage 4: Depression_

Witnessing your death itself was unbearable enough; the full shock of it didn't hit until we were miles away. The grief and loss dulled our senses and we could do nothing but mourn, pouring our sorrows to each other and the seas. We couldn't do much of anything: we didn't eat, didn't laugh, didn't smile. No one expected otherwise and we didn't want it otherwise. All we could do was hold each other and try to bear the pain until it passed. We didn't know if it ever would. Our morale was in shambles and nothing could've brought up our spirits; nothing short of a miracle would've worked.

_Stage 5: Acceptance_

We've gotten back on track now, these few years later. Our morale is back and our spirits restored, but everything is far from normal. We've tried to get life back to how it once was, back when you still captained our ship, but it's just not possible: you aren't there. I've since taken up the vacant position yet I know nothing I do could measure up to everything you did. We're trying our best, because we know that's what you would've wanted, but it's hard some days. Some days, we still wonder if it was right for us to just stand there and watch instead of trying to help you; even though you wouldn't have accepted it, we would've done anything. There had to have been something we could've done; anything could've been an improvement from what we did. Our grief is closing and the healing process is taking baby steps but we'll be fine. No worries and no regrets.

Sooooooooo…yeah, it's another sad fanfiction, but those just seem to be what I'm best at. I learned about the five stages of grief in my high school psychology class and just wondered how Whitebeard's crew went through theirs. This is just how I pictured it. Reviews are appreciated but never demanded and flames will NOT be tolerated! Thanks!


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